A tape measure 100 as shown in FIG. 1 is a well known device used to take measurements of an object (e.g., the length of an object). A tape measure 100 includes a housing 110 that contains a coiled length of a measuring blade 101 that extends from the housing 110 while taking measurements and retracts back into the housing 110 for storage after the measurement has been taken.
Since the distance to be measured by the tape measure 100 often exceeds the reach of the user and the user typically can only devote one hand to making the measurement (e.g., the other hand is holding a tool or writing device), the measuring blade 101 can be designed with a concave surface to allow the measuring blade 101 to remain rigid when it is extended over a large distance. The measuring blade can also be designed to have a conventional endpiece 106 on the free end of the measuring blade 101 to removably hook the free end of the measuring blade 101 onto the edge of an object to be measured. The conventional endpiece 106 can also stabilize the free end of the measuring blade 101 when pressed against the surface of an object to be measured. As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional endpiece 106 has a tab 108 that extends downward substantially perpendicular to the end of the measuring blade 101.
This tab 108 is also used to hook the measuring blade 101 onto the edge of an object while taking measurements. In many instances, however, the tab 108 is unable to remain hooked onto the edge of the object. This problem is especially prevalent when the measuring blade 101 is extended a long distance from the housing 110 of the tape measure 100 to make a measurement. The ineffectiveness of the tab 108 is caused, in part, by the fact that the tab 108 is too small (i.e., does not extend down far enough from the measuring blade 101) and therefore does not contact enough of the edge of the object. In addition, the ineffectiveness of the tab 108 is caused by the fact that that the tab 108 is flat and lacks a hooking member that extends from the end of the tab 108 below the measuring blade 101 back towards the housing 110 of the tape measure 100 to more effectively grasp the edge of an object. This hooking member would be especially useful for measuring objects that are thinner than the length of the tab 108 and would fit between the underside of the measuring blade 101 and the hooking member allowing for a more effective hooking of the object. While the drawbacks of the conventional endpiece 106 are known, there are other restrictions on the conventional endpiece 106 based on the fact that the tape measure 100 is used to measure a variety of objects that limit the potential sizes and shapes of the conventional endpiece 106.
For example, the conventional endpiece 106, including the tab 108, should be of a size and shape so as not to interfere with the ability of the free end of the measuring blade 101 to properly retract into the housing 110 of the tape measure 100. If the conventional endpiece 106 were to have a hooking member that extended directly above and parallel to the top surface of the measuring blade 101, that hooking member would contact the housing 110 and prevent that measuring blade 101 from properly retracting into the housing 110. A hooking member that extended directly above the top surface of the measuring blade 101 would also make measurements more difficult since it would be necessary, for some measurements, to turn the housing 110 over or upside down in order to hook onto the object to be measured, making it difficult to then lay the measuring blade 101 flat on the surface to be measured. In addition, the endpiece, including the tab 108, should be of a size and shape so as not to interfere with measurements of objects that do not have edges (e.g., the surface of a wall) or are very thick. If the tab 108 were to be too long, it would be difficult to place the free end onto the surface of the object to be measured as the measuring blade 101 would be far from the surface. Also, if the tab 108 were provided with a hooking member that extended from the end of the tab 108 below the measuring blade 101 back towards the housing 110 of the tape measure 100, this hooking member would distort measurements of objects with edges that were not thin enough to fit between the underside of the measuring blade 101 and the hooking member (i.e., the hooking member would prevent the actual end of the measuring blade 101 (the “true zero” point) from being placed on the edge of the object).
Given these restrictions on the conventional endpiece 106 based on the fact that the tape measure 100 is used to measure a variety of objects, some existing solutions address the deficiencies of the tab 108 by temporarily adding components (e.g., hooking members) for certain measurements and then removing (or changing) those components for other measurements. This requirement for using different endpieces 106 for different measurements, however, can be complicated and time consuming when several different measurements need to be performed on a regular basis.
It would be advantageous to provide an endpiece for a measuring blade 101 that improves upon the ability of the conventional endpiece 106 to hook the measuring blade 101 onto the edge of an object, and in particular, a relatively thin object, while taking measurements without impacting the ability of the measuring blade 101 to make accurate measurements when not using a hooking member to measure objects that do not have edges or that are relatively thick. It would also be advantageous to improve the ability of the conventional endpiece 106 without the need for having to add, remove, or change components of the conventional endpiece 106.